ISRO Successfully Conducts Futuristic Rocket Test, Joins Select Club

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted scramjet engine test today at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh around 80 km from Chennai. The rocket took off at 6 am today. The scramjet engine, used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket's flight, will help in bringing down the launch cost of weather satellite INSAT-3DR by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried along with the fuel. The launch of weather satellite INSAT-3DR with the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-MkII) has been postponed to September, a senior official said on Saturday. Earlier P Kunhi Krishnan, director of SDSC, had said the Indian weather satellite will be launched on August 28 which has now been postponed to September 8. Queried about the change in launch plan Krishnan said: "While carrying out the tests there was a tec...